Ficlet: Not So Idle Gossip
Title: Not So Idle Gossip
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Tosh, Ianto
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Best friends Tosh and Ianto have a chat.
Word Count: 873
Written For: samparker’s prompt ‘Torchwood, Ianto & Tosh, gossip (five sentences)’ at fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
A/N: This has been expanded considerably since I first wrote it, so it's a lot more than 5 sentences now!
One of the best things about Ianto was that Tosh could talk to him about anything, even things she wouldn’t discuss with another woman, and especially things she wouldn’t dream of mentioning to the only woman she worked with. Gwen could be a bit… disapproving was probably the nicest way Tosh could phrase it, although judgemental probably fitted better.
Whatever. Tosh considered Ianto her best friend, the closest friend she’d ever had if she were honest. She knew whatever was on her mind, he’d make the time to listen to her, and give her good advice, even if the topic might be a bit… embarrassing to one or other of them. She’d do the same for him, and had, all those times he’d needed to vent about Jack.
Luckily, right now Jack wasn’t present, because he had a bad habit of horning in on private conversations. Not that Tosh would have minded him knowing about her current quandary, because Jack never judged. More importantly, neither Gwen nor Owen were in the Hub, having gone on a Rift retrieval, far enough out into the countryside surrounding Cardiff that they wouldn’t be back for at least an hour, maybe two.
Tosh popped her head into Jack’s office, where her friend had taken over his lover’s desk in order to sort out the contents of several folders that had fallen off the teetering pile in Jack’s inbox and become mixed up. No wonder Jack had made himself scarce!
“Ianto, I know you’re busy, but can you spare a few minutes?”
“For you, Tosh, I can spare as long as you need. Pull up a chair.”
“Thank you.” She did as she was told, dragging a spare chair around the desk and sitting down beside him. Setting the papers aside, he gave her his full attention.
“So, what’s on your mind.”
“Well…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “It’s a bit crazy, or weird, or something, and I don’t know what, if anything, I should do about it. I need some unbiased advice.”
“I’ll do my best, but I’m not sure how unbiased I can be because whatever it is, you know I’m on your side.”
“I’m not sure this is a situation that really HAS sides.”
“Then maybe you should just start from the beginning; tell me everything.”
“Okay, good idea. Here’s the thing… This morning… Well, you’ll never believe what I saw when I opened my bedroom curtains, because I’m still not sure I believe it myself. I keep wondering if I imagined it, or maybe dreamed it.” Tosh waved her hand. “Anyway, I looked out my window, and the woman in the flat opposite mine was exercising, and… She was completely naked, facing her window, with the curtains wide open so anyone passing could see… well, everything she’s got! You know how big the windows opposite mine are.” She bit her lip, her eyes getting a faraway look. “I had a hard time making myself look away.”
“Is this the redhead you were telling me about the other week? The one with the really long legs, the one you said you fancy?”
“Uh huh.” Tosh nodded. “She’s incredibly flexible; I wish I could move like that.” She smiled, blushing faintly as she admitted, “She’s gorgeous, head to toe. I don’t think she saw me watching her, but I’m not sure. D’you think I should tell her I saw her? Maybe she doesn’t realise I can see into her flat from mine. My window’s a bit higher up after all; I doubt she can see far into my bedroom, while I can see the whole of hers.”
“You said she was facing the window?”
“Yes.”
“And she was naked when you opened the curtains?”
“Um…” Tosh frowned. “No, I think she was taking off her robe and then she threw it on the bed before starting her exercises.”
“Sounds to me like she might have been waiting for you to open your curtains. Maybe she knew you were watching so she was showing off for you.”
“D’you think so?”
“It’s a possibility. If you’ve seen her, it stands to reason that she might have seen you as well. Why don’t you invite her over for a drink one evening, see what happens? That way, if she doesn’t know you can see into her flat, she’ll find out, and if she DOES know, and it was deliberate, could be she’s interested in you too.”
“Hmmm, that’s a very good idea; maybe I’ll do that. After all, what have I got to lose?”
“And what might you have to gain?”
“That too.” Jumping up, Tosh leaned over to kiss Ianto’s cheek. “Thanks, Ianto; I knew I could count on you.”
“Any time, Tosh.” Ianto winked at her. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Anything goes then?” Grinning, Tosh all but skipped out of Jack’s office, a plan forming in her head. This evening, on her way home, she’d drop a note with her phone number into her neighbour’s mailbox, introducing herself and asking the gorgeous redhead to call her if she’d like to stop by for drinks one evening.
If she was lucky, the answer would be ‘Yes’, and then… Well, she’d just play it by ear.
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Tosh, Ianto
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Best friends Tosh and Ianto have a chat.
Word Count: 873
Written For: samparker’s prompt ‘Torchwood, Ianto & Tosh, gossip (five sentences)’ at fic_promptly.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.
A/N: This has been expanded considerably since I first wrote it, so it's a lot more than 5 sentences now!
One of the best things about Ianto was that Tosh could talk to him about anything, even things she wouldn’t discuss with another woman, and especially things she wouldn’t dream of mentioning to the only woman she worked with. Gwen could be a bit… disapproving was probably the nicest way Tosh could phrase it, although judgemental probably fitted better.
Whatever. Tosh considered Ianto her best friend, the closest friend she’d ever had if she were honest. She knew whatever was on her mind, he’d make the time to listen to her, and give her good advice, even if the topic might be a bit… embarrassing to one or other of them. She’d do the same for him, and had, all those times he’d needed to vent about Jack.
Luckily, right now Jack wasn’t present, because he had a bad habit of horning in on private conversations. Not that Tosh would have minded him knowing about her current quandary, because Jack never judged. More importantly, neither Gwen nor Owen were in the Hub, having gone on a Rift retrieval, far enough out into the countryside surrounding Cardiff that they wouldn’t be back for at least an hour, maybe two.
Tosh popped her head into Jack’s office, where her friend had taken over his lover’s desk in order to sort out the contents of several folders that had fallen off the teetering pile in Jack’s inbox and become mixed up. No wonder Jack had made himself scarce!
“Ianto, I know you’re busy, but can you spare a few minutes?”
“For you, Tosh, I can spare as long as you need. Pull up a chair.”
“Thank you.” She did as she was told, dragging a spare chair around the desk and sitting down beside him. Setting the papers aside, he gave her his full attention.
“So, what’s on your mind.”
“Well…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “It’s a bit crazy, or weird, or something, and I don’t know what, if anything, I should do about it. I need some unbiased advice.”
“I’ll do my best, but I’m not sure how unbiased I can be because whatever it is, you know I’m on your side.”
“I’m not sure this is a situation that really HAS sides.”
“Then maybe you should just start from the beginning; tell me everything.”
“Okay, good idea. Here’s the thing… This morning… Well, you’ll never believe what I saw when I opened my bedroom curtains, because I’m still not sure I believe it myself. I keep wondering if I imagined it, or maybe dreamed it.” Tosh waved her hand. “Anyway, I looked out my window, and the woman in the flat opposite mine was exercising, and… She was completely naked, facing her window, with the curtains wide open so anyone passing could see… well, everything she’s got! You know how big the windows opposite mine are.” She bit her lip, her eyes getting a faraway look. “I had a hard time making myself look away.”
“Is this the redhead you were telling me about the other week? The one with the really long legs, the one you said you fancy?”
“Uh huh.” Tosh nodded. “She’s incredibly flexible; I wish I could move like that.” She smiled, blushing faintly as she admitted, “She’s gorgeous, head to toe. I don’t think she saw me watching her, but I’m not sure. D’you think I should tell her I saw her? Maybe she doesn’t realise I can see into her flat from mine. My window’s a bit higher up after all; I doubt she can see far into my bedroom, while I can see the whole of hers.”
“You said she was facing the window?”
“Yes.”
“And she was naked when you opened the curtains?”
“Um…” Tosh frowned. “No, I think she was taking off her robe and then she threw it on the bed before starting her exercises.”
“Sounds to me like she might have been waiting for you to open your curtains. Maybe she knew you were watching so she was showing off for you.”
“D’you think so?”
“It’s a possibility. If you’ve seen her, it stands to reason that she might have seen you as well. Why don’t you invite her over for a drink one evening, see what happens? That way, if she doesn’t know you can see into her flat, she’ll find out, and if she DOES know, and it was deliberate, could be she’s interested in you too.”
“Hmmm, that’s a very good idea; maybe I’ll do that. After all, what have I got to lose?”
“And what might you have to gain?”
“That too.” Jumping up, Tosh leaned over to kiss Ianto’s cheek. “Thanks, Ianto; I knew I could count on you.”
“Any time, Tosh.” Ianto winked at her. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Anything goes then?” Grinning, Tosh all but skipped out of Jack’s office, a plan forming in her head. This evening, on her way home, she’d drop a note with her phone number into her neighbour’s mailbox, introducing herself and asking the gorgeous redhead to call her if she’d like to stop by for drinks one evening.
If she was lucky, the answer would be ‘Yes’, and then… Well, she’d just play it by ear.
The End